Police have arrested a suspect over the alleged verbal intimidation of three Muslim students outside the Islamic prayer room on campus.

The suspect, described by students on the scene as a man in his 50s of Anglo-Saxon appearance, was charged with possession of a prohibited drug and of stalking and intimidation regarding the March 4 incident.

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Registrar) Tyrone Carlin told Honi that the University was looking at “a range of measures to enhance security around the prayer room.” This would include the installation of additional CCTV cameras and security patrols in Old Teachers’ College, where the room is located.

Professor Carlin also mentioned a recent campus-wide email from the Vice-Chancellor Michael Spence that condemned Islamophobic behaviour as an important move.

Earlier this month, pro-refugee posters were defaced with Islamophobic messages saying “No Muslims” and “Muslims rape babies”. The discovery prompted student leaders and a NSW Parliamentarian, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, to call on the University to do more.

NSW Police said the man had been bailed and would attend Newtown Local Court on March 31. According to campus security, the man has been barred from attending the grounds of the University.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this articlesaid the suspect had been arrested in regards to the ransacking of the prayer room. This has been amended to indicate that the arrest concerned a separate offence.

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